If your home furnishings are getting boring, or even if your home decor is feeling a bit out of sync but you don’t have the means or inclination to opt for a full overhaul there are some smaller tweaks and adjustments you can make to your interiors to brighten up and freshen any space, without breaking the budget. What is more, they don’t involve any intensive labour or skillset either. Here are some ideas for brightening up your home on a budget.
Plants and flowers
Indoor plants are a great way of adding colour and texture to your interiors, not to mention they instantly make any home Instagrammable, you just have to check out an interiors account and you will be bound to find a houseplant, or five. They have a whole host of practical benefits also. They are natural air purifiers. Houseplants such as the Boston plant work away behind the scenes cleaning up your air, removing toxins and increasing oxygen levels whereas an Aloe Vera plant contains many soothing properties that can help ease burns. Another great feature that they both possess is that they are very easy to keep alive. There are plenty of low maintenance houseplants that are easy to look after and that will have the brightening nature enhancing effect you are looking for. If all else fails, opt for the synthetic kind. They will still achieve the same aesthetic goal.
Photo Credit Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Wall art
Wall art can add so much to a room, it can personalise it, brighten it and create a focal point. Wall art can come in many shapes and sizes and many price points too. Abstract wall art can be a great way to inject colour and a sense of uniqueness into a room. Alternatively, you could hang your favourite photos in miss-match frames or canvas prints across a large wall to create the ever-fashionable gallery wall. The great thing about wall art is that it is wholly subjective and easily changed. You can choose what you like to create a colour scheme, look and feel of a room that suits you and the trends du jour, with a modest expenditure.
Another option when it comes to brightening up a plain wall is to use wall stickers. There are a whole host of wall stickers available online for any and all rooms of the house. Wall stickers allow you to add a bit of flair and design to a blank wall with minimal effort and minimal cost. Wall stickers are often a great option for children’s rooms as they grow out of their desired colours and tastes almost yearly.
Rearrange your furniture
Rearranging your furniture is the most cost-effective way of re-energising your space. Before hauling sofas and side tables around the room consider using an interior design software program to allow you to make a virtual replica of your existing room. You can then play around with the layout and landscape until your heart is content working out what furniture would look best where.
When rearranging furniture keep some of these basics in mind;
Remember to keep the flow. Think about how people will move through the room, where they will need to go and how they will get there. You want to avoid traffic and congestion in your room and keep movement flowing freely.
Make the most of features. If you have a great feature in your room, capitalise on it. It could be an exposed brick wall or wood-burning fireplace. Whatever it is make it a focal point of the room.
Room for more? Do you have a nice lamp or perfect rug in another room that would work wonders in the new layout? Have a look around the house and see if you can add any other items to enhance and change up your room.
Minor accessories
Treat yourself to a little shopping trip to source some soft furnishing. You could add a new throw to an old sofa to give it a new lease of life, or purchase some bright texturised cushions. It could be as simple as updating the photo frames to bring them more in line with the current interior trends or just by adding some colourful candles that stand out.
Photo Credit; Donald Tong from Pexels
Chalkboard paint
Chalkboard paint can be a great addition to a family home. It can fit perfectly in playrooms or can be used in a designated corner of a kitchen or family room, wherever you feel comfortable. Chalkboard paint is exactly as it sounds, it is paint that you apply to a wall that you can write on with chalk. It is great for those to-do lists and reminders or perfect for children to get creative with when you are busy cooking dinner. After all, what child doesn’t want to draw on a wall?
Remove clutter
Clutter is every homeowner’s worst nightmare. No matter how hard you try to keep your sides clear they always seem to fill up with bits and pieces you cannot find a home for. Removing sides and surfaces of clutter will instantly brighten up a space, make it feel larger and more organised. If you cannot find a home for everything purchase some storage boxes to put all the random bits and bobs in or simple things like the TV remotes. It may even stop you from losing things.
Add mirrors
Mirrors are another great multifaceted asset to any room. Mirrors can be stylish and in keeping with current trends, which in turn can help bring your room in line with the fashionable styles. They can also be a great way of increasing light and giving the illusion of a brighter, lighter, and importantly larger, space. Hanging mirrors opposite natural light sources such as windows and doors will reflect the natural light thus making the room appear bigger and brighter.
Embrace the space
It can be tempting to fill every gap or nook and cranny with furniture or furnishings, but you do not need to do this. Embrace the space and leave purposeful gaps between big and bold items of furniture. Don’t overfill every shelf or each wall. Leaving space will help reduce clutter, the amount of dusting required and help to give the impression of a fresh and brighter space.